The new United Nation’s and Arab League’s Syrian peace negotiator, Lakhdar Brahimi, is making headlines on newspapers and on the Web for his attempts to negotiate a truce between the Syrian government and freedom fighters before the start of the Id al-Adha holiday that begins on October 25, 2012. He is holding talks with key players of the crises including Iran.
The wave of Arab uprisings that started in the Arab world reached Syria in March 2011 and the struggle of the Syrian people continue to date. More than 25,000, mostly civilians have been killed during this time period. More than 234,000 Syrians have fled the country and are housed in refugee camps in bordering countries.
Most recent news highlights involvement of neighbors in the conflict. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are supplying weapons to rebels in Syria. Syrian air attacks killed several people inside Turkey closer to the Syrian border few weeks ago and Turkey retaliated with its air power on selected targets inside Syria. Turkey has criticized the United Nations for its inaction in the conflict comparing it to the Bosnian crisis in 1990s. In the meantime Turkey warplanes are intercepting air cargo bound for Syria and Russia is demanding that Turkey explain its involvement in Syrian airspace.